


On Lost Causes

by exbex



Series: Thaw Me Out [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Hopeful Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-06-10 03:29:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6937882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exbex/pseuds/exbex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And this is a problem, because this is not what Kent had thought would go down at all; this is relationship-type stuff, not just two people getting off, and Kent is shit at relationships, and if Alexei keeps up with this, Kent’s going to start thinking he can have this, and he doesn’t know if he can survive the inevitable crash and burn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On Lost Causes

**Author's Note:**

> Check Please! belongs to Ngozi Ukazu.

The thing is, Kent is just really bad at relationships.

Kent likes people. He can be a really great friend, very generous with everything he has, good at building people up and bringing the best out of them. But when it comes to relationships, he’s needy; he goes too fast and demands too much, too soon, and is really very good at fucking things up. Kent knows this because he’s spent a lot of money on therapy, but also because he has the tried and true tool of observation working for him.

He’s basically accepted that he is shit at relationships by the time he gets traded to the Falconers. And he’s okay with it, he really is. Everything is going great a few months in; he’s finally repaired his friendship with Jack, he’s finally done mooning over Jack, he’s finally won Eric over and he has the occasional pie to prove it, he gets along great with his teammates and they spend a certain amount of time feeling just a little smug that they’re defying the predictions that, as an “aging” team, the Falconers would crash and burn.

Everything is great except that he’s still lonely and he’s really not okay with it.

**

Kent doesn’t know when the thing with Alexei starts. He certainly likes the guy from the start; Alexei is gregarious and generous and level-headed, actually really astute and listens as much as he talks. Alexei basically adopts Kent from the beginning, which is amusing and, if Kent is really being honest with himself, kind of a relief.

There’s really nothing about him that would stir any kind of interest in Kent though, even though he’s really tall and dark-haired and could toss Kent over his shoulder and carry him off without so much as breaking a sweat…

Kent realizes he’s fucked right after they make the playoffs and Alexei props Eric, as if he weighs nothing, on his shoulders in celebration, his huge hands holding Eric in place as carefully as if he’s cradling a Faberge egg.

**

Occasionally the universe does throw Kent Parson a bone, which is why, he figures, that Alexei is carrying him through the door of their hotel room and depositing him carefully onto the nearest bed. (Things that Kent Parson would not have predicted include those big, soft, kind of dopey eyes turning smoldering on him every time they catch his own over the last few weeks, those friendly arms tossed around everyone’s shoulders suddenly becoming a bit more sensuous when they’re around Kent’s). Kent is not one to look a gift horse in the mouth (though he is one to mix his metaphors), and so he wastes no time in shucking out of his shirt, wrapping his legs around Alexei, and enthusiastically attempting to decipher what the inside of his mouth tastes like.

In between kisses, Alexei is speaking Russian rapidly (not a language Kent would have predicted would sound so sexy, but again, not interested in analyzing things too deeply), but finally switches to English as he takes hold of Kent’s arms. “Kenny, Kenny, slow down.”

Kent simply ignores the directive, causing Alexei to push him down to the bed, pinning his arms to the mattress in an attempt to still him. Kent responds with what should probably be an embarrassing noise as he pushes his hips upward, trying to gain some friction through layers of denim.

Alexei raises his eyebrows. “Is like that then?”

Kent gives him his best smirk. “You tell me. Seems to me you could do whatever you wanted to and I couldn’t stop you.” He punctuates the statement by wriggling his wrists that are still pinned to the bed.

Alexei nods pensively. “I see.” And instead of letting go, like Kent half expects him to, he leans down and begins to place kisses on Kent’s lips, on his cheeks, trailing down his jaw and his neck. And this is a problem, because this is not what Kent had thought would go down at all; this is relationship-type stuff, not just two people getting off, and Kent is shit at relationships, and if Alexei keeps up with this, Kent’s going to start thinking he can have this, and he doesn’t know if he can survive the inevitable crash and burn.

“Stop,” Kent says.

Alexei looks concerned as he pulls away and rolls to the side. His eyes follow Kent’s every move as Kent sits up and swings his legs off the bed, as Kent stands and begins to pace, running his hands through his hair.

“Look. I’m a fuck-up, alright? I’m really bad at this kind of thing, and I’m basically a lost cause.” He stops and turns so that he’s facing Alexei, and he crosses his arms over his bare chest because suddenly he feels like an idiot.

Alexei sits up and moves to the edge of the bed, not taking his eyes off of Kent at all. There’s a long silence that’s almost unbearable because Alexei’s eyes have become very shrewd. Kent tries to hold Alexei’s gaze, but all of his energy bleeds out of him and he looks away so he doesn’t start crying or doing some similarly embarrassing shit.

“Kenny,” Alexei finally begins, and Kent manages to look him in the eyes. “When someone tell me something is being impossible, I-how do you say? Get more stubborn.”

Kent opens his mouth to offer a retort, but he has nothing. And as he’s desperately trying to come up with some smart-ass comment, Alexei is getting up, grabbing Kent’s shirt, and bringing it to him. And as Kent is pulling it over his head, his heart is beating just a little bit faster. Somehow, it actually returns to normal as Alexei puts his arms around him.

“So we give try, no?”

Kent wants to say no, that he’s not worth it, that he’s just going to fuck this up like he always has before. He wants to pull away from Alexei and put as much distance between them as the space allows. But the thing is, Alexei’s arms are around him in such a way that he could, he could slip out of them easily, with absolutely no resistance. Or he could lean in, let those arms tighten just a bit, just enough to feel anchored.

So Kent just nods, and lets himself hope for once.


End file.
